Safety device



A. A. GAREY SAFETY DEVICE Oct. 11, 1927.

1 ed Feb 1925 70 z5.2 Sheets Sheet 1 I NVENTOR.'

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ATTORNEY.

A. A. GAREY Oct. 11, 1927.

SAFETY DEVICE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Y Filed geb. 6, 1926 A T TORNE Y.

' grille of a tellers cage, and normally con-y cealed but adapted forinstantaneous opera- Patented Oct. 11, 1927.

UNITED STATES ALBERT A. GAREY, 0F .ALTADENA, CALIFORNIA.

SAFETY DEVICE.

Application led February 6, 1926.

This invention is a means for frustrating attempts to hold up a tellerin a bank: and it is the object of the invention to provide mechanismwhich may be readily actuated by concealed movement of the teller, andwhich when operated will positively prevent a thief obtaining access tomoney in the possession of the telle-r.

It is a further object of the invention to provide mechanism associatedwith the usual tion under the control of the teller to present apositive and bullet-proof barrier between a thief and the interior ofthe cage.

More particularly it is the object of the invention to provide abullet-proof shield which is normally concealed by thecountcr of thetellers cage below the grille, and which upon operation of controllingmechanism by movement of a part of the teller which is concealed by thecounter, is positively shifted to a position overlying the grille so asto prevent an intended thief either intimidating the teller or reachingthrough the grille and obtaining access to money.

It is a still further object of the invention to provide forincapacitating the intended thief by means which become operative whenthe controlling mechanism is shifted; and to also give a general alarmby t-he operation of the controlling device.

The invention will be readily understood from the following descriptionof the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a front elevation of the invention.

Fig. 2 is a vertical section on the line 2--2 of Fig. 1.

Figs. 3 and 4 are transverse sections on the lines 3 3 and 4 4 of Fig;1.

Fig. 5 is a plan view of the releasing mechanism.

Figs. 6 and 7 are vertical sections on the lines 6-6 and 7 7 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 8 is a vertical section through the frangible container and itssupport.

Fig. 9 is a vertical section through one of the cushioning means for theprotecting barrier.

Fig. 10 is a front elevation, partly in veri tical section, of thegrille for a cage.

Fig. 11 is a horizontal section through the grille.

Serial No. 86,552.

Fig. 12 is a transverse section through the spray'nozzle of theconstruction.

Fig. 13 4is a View similar to Fig. 1 but showing a modification of theinvention.

Fig. 14 is a plan View of the operating mechanism for the constructionshown in Fig. 13.

u In the drawings I have shown the invention as applicable to a usualtellers cage such as are used in banks; the lower portion of the frontof the cage being closed as shown at 1, and the upper portion of thefront of the cage being open and protected by a grille 2. The usualcounter 3 is positioned at the junction of the closed and open portionsof the front of the cage, and the grille 2 forms the usual opening 4above the counter and through which money may be exchanged between theteller and a customer.

A barrier, shown as bullet-proof glass 5 mounted in a sash 6, isnormally concealed in back of the closed portion of the cage,

and is adapted to slide upwardly and comwidth of the cage for thepassage of the sash las it is shifted to operative position; and 'thisslot is normally concealed by a hinged cover 10, which may be swungupwardly and outwardly against the grille 2 but which when in normalposition rests upon the counter and simulates the appearance of a usualy part of the saine. The cover 10 is swung upwardly by the sash 6 as thelatter is iiiitially elevated, and the cover thus forms an immediatebarrier protecting the opening 4. rlhe portion of the cover in alinementwith the open front of the cage may be of increased Width as shown at10a in order to overlie substantially the entire opening 4.

rIhe base barof the grille which is at the top of opening 4, and thevertical bars of the grille which are connected thereto, are preferablyjoined by pins 11 which will break under excessive impact; andas aconsequence if a thief shoves a gun through the opening 4, it will bestruck by either the sash 6 or the cover 10 as they are elevated tooperative position, and will be tilted. upwardly against the base barofthe grille which will yield by the breaking of pins 11, so as not toiinpede the upward tilting of the gun but permit the same to bedischarged harmlessly over the head of the teller in the ca e. The lowerends of the vertical bars of t e grille which project below the base baras shown at 12, preferably taper and are rounded off so being suppliedfrom a frangible container which is broken by elevation of the sash. and

the gas then being forced through a spray nozzle by the continuedelevation of the sash. The spray nozzle 13 opens through the top -bar 14of the cage which is above grille 2,

and is journaled on a horizontal supply pipe 15 which is concealed in`bar 14, so that the s ray nozzle may be vadjusted to dischargedlire'ctly into the eyes of a person standing 1n front of the rille ofthe cage. Usual lights 16 are provided on the top bar of the cage,

and the shade. 17 which overlies the same.

preferably partially conceals the spray nozzle 13 so that it will beinconspicuous.

The supply pipe 15 for the spra. nozzle eXten'ds'into the hollowinterior o one of the side frames 7, and communicates with a cylinder 18which is adapted to receive a glass receptacle 19 containing tear gas orthe like. The lower end of cylinder 18 is open for insertion of theglass receptacle,

which may be placed in the hollow side.

frame through a door 20. The glass recepta'cle abuts against arestricted neck `2l in the cylinder 18, and .a `perforated partitionshown as a screen 22 is 'disposed betweenthe restricted neck and thesupply pipe 15. The glass receptacle is held against the neck 21 byysprin lingers 23 in` the lower portion of cylin er 18 which will yieldto permit insertion of the glass vreceptacle and will then spring tooperative position below the same to prevent the receptacle droppingfrom the cylinder.

The glass receptacle is broken against thev neck 21, and the tear gas isforced through pipe 15 by means of a plunger 24 which -is carried by thesash 6 and slides in cylinder 18 when the sash is elevated.l The openvlower end of the cylinder preferably has-a bell-mouth-25 to guide theentranceof the lunger; and when the glass receptacle is roken by theplunger the broken glass is stopped by screen 22, and thereleased tear:ver 27, whereupon the sash is gas is forced vby the plunger throughpipe 15 and is sprayed from nozzle 13.

Elevation of sash 6 is preferably controlled b a trip which is concealedfrom an inten ed thief bythe counter 3 and the closed front lof thecage, but which isaccessible to a concealed part of the teller standingin his cage. For this purpose a lever 27 is pivoted at 28 to theunderside of coun-y ter 3, and the' rear end of the lever extendsdownwardly as shown at 29 and terminates in a vertical plate 30 which isadapted to be struck by the knee of the teller for swinging the lever 27to one side or the other.

In the form of the invention illustrated in Fig. l the sash 6 iselevated by spring drums 32 which are mounted. in the hollow interiorsof side frames 7 and are connected to the sides of the sash by cables33. When the sash is lowered the spring drums 32 are tensioned; 'and thesash is held in lowered position until released by movement of 1euicklyelevated by the spring drums in or er to overlie the entireupper part ofthe front of the cage and consequently rotect the bank teller from anintended thief? Ther trip which normally retains the sash in lowereposition is shown as a latch i38 sli'dable in a casing 39 on theunderside of counter 3 and normally overlying the sash.

A spring 40 tends to retract the latch in order to disengage it from thesash, and the latch is held against the action of the spring and in.projected operative position', by engagement between a head 41 on thelatch plunger 42 and a, Wedge shaped head 43 on the end of lever 27.When the lever 'is swung to a medial, position the point of wedge `43engagin the hea'd 41 prevents retraction of the latdli ing of the leverto one side or the other, permits the head 41 to slide along one side orthe other of the wedge 43 in order to retract thehlatch and therebypermit elevation of the sas v In the modification of the inventionillustrated in Fig. 13 the sash 6 is elevated by an electrical motor 45.endless sprocket chains 46 are fixed to the sides of sash 6 and engagesprocket wheels 47-48 at the top andl bottom of the hollow interior ofside frames 7. The sprocket chains are moved for elevating the sash by2- a driving connectionbetween motor 45 and the lower -sprocket wheels48 inthe respective Sideframes 7. This driving connection is shown as Aamotor shaft-50"'having bevel but the slightest swing- For this purposegear driving connections 51 for the'respective sprocket 48.

The circuit for motor 45 is closedthrough shifting oflever 27 byabut-ment of the knee of the teller against plate 30 as previouslydescribed.v For this purpose an electrical contact 55 is substituted forthe head 43 on lever 27 and one or the other of spaced contacts 56 isengaged by contact 55 when the lever is shifted in either direction fromits normal median position in which contact 55 is spaced between thecontacts 56. The contacts 56 lead to one terminal of motor 45 as shownat 57, and the contact 55 leads to the opposite terminal of the motor asshown at 58, with a suitable source of electrical energy in the circuitas shown at 59.

After the motor circuit has been closed by striking the plate 30, andthe sash 6 has beenV raised to operative position by the motor 45turning the sprocket chains 46, the circuit through the motor isautomatically broken, preferably by means of normally contacting springfingers 61 placed in the circuit and positioned so that an insulatedwedge 62 on the sash will spread the fingers apart for breaking thecircuit as the sash reaches its upper limit of travel. After the sash iselevated and the motor circuit is broken, the sash is held againstdropping by a latch 64 on the sash which is automatically engaged by acatch 63 on the top bar 14.

In either form of the invention described, the sliding sash may becounterweighted, the weights 65 preferably moving up and down in thehollow interiors of Side frames 7, and being connected to cables 66which are fixed at their opposite ends to the sides of the sash andextend over pulleys 67. Bumpers are preferably provided for cushioningthe impact of sash 6 against the top bar 14 when it reaches its elevatedposition, and for this purpose coil springs 80 surrounding rubber cores81 may be set in the bar 14 so that the sash will strike and compressthe springs and then abut against the rubber cores.

The invention preferably .also provides for closing an electricalcircuit to a central burglar alarm system when the plate 30 is shiftedfor elevation of the sash. For this purpose the respective sides 70-71of a circuit for the central alarm system are connected to normallyspaced contacts 72-73 in the form of the invention illustrated in Fig.1, and may be connected to the leads 57-58 in the form of the inventionshown in Fig. 13. It will thus be seen that in Fig. 13, closing of thecircuit 57-58 to elevate the sash will also close the circuit 'T0-71 forthe central alarm.

1n the form of the invention shown in,Y

Fig. 1, the circuit 70-71 includes a source of electrical energy 75, andthe normally spaced contacts 72-73 engage upon initial elevation of thesash for closing the alarm fcircuit. As an instance of this arrangementthe contact 72 may be a strip suspended in the hollow interior of one ofthe side frames 7 above the normal inoperative position of sash 6, andthe contact 73 which is normally spaced from contact 72 may be carriedby the sash for immediate engagement with its cooperating contact whenthe sash is elevated. The contacts preferably remain in engagementthroughout elevation of the sash for continuous signalling of thecentral alarm.

It will thus be seen that I have provided a construction whereinconcealed movement of a teller in a cage, will immediately move a bulletproof barrier'between the teller and an intended thief; and will elevatea gun pointed at the teller sov that it will discharge harmlessly intothe Aair. The construction also provides for sounding of a central alarmby the concealed movement of the teller, as well as the discharge of asuitable tear gas into the eyes of the intendedv thief. The teller maythus protect himself against'intimidation by a thief, and also protectthe money in his cage against'a thief reaching through the grille andseizing the same; and the concealed movement of a teller whom a thief isattempting to hold up, will also setv in operation measures which willassist in capturing of the thief, both by incapacitating the thiefthrough the dlscharge of tear gas and the summoning of help by thesounding of the central alarm.

1 claim: v \1. rThe combination of a partition forinmg a counter andhaving an opening in the partition extending upwardly from the counter,a grille -for the opening terminating in spaced relation .above thecounter, the counter having an opening therethrough, a hinged closurefor the counter opening adapted to swing upwardly and outwardly againstthe frame of the partition for closing the space between the grille andthe counter, and a barrier normally concealed by the partition andadapted for elevation through the counter opening to swing the hingedclosure upwardly and outwardly with the barrier overlying the grille.

2. The combination of a partition form ing a counter and having anopening above the counter, a grille for the opening terminating anappreciable distance above the bottom of the opening, said grillecompris ing uprights and a lower cross bar, the counter having anopening, a closure for the counter opening adapted to swing upwardly andoutwardly to substantially vertical position against the grille forclosing the space between the bottom of the grille and the bottom of thepartition opening, a barrier normally non-obstructing the partitionopening, land means for forcibly and suddenly elevating the barrierthrough the counter opening to swing the closure for the counter openingagainst the grille and overlie the partition opening by the barrier,said lower cross bar of the grilleJ being connected to the uprights bymeans adapted to break for release of the cross bar under impact of amedium projected beneath the cross bar into the path of travel of theclosure for the counter opening so that said medium is elevated by theupwardly swinging closure.

3. The-combination of a partition forming a counter and having anopening above the counter-7 a grille for the opening terminating anappreciable distance above the bottom of the opening, said grillecomprising uprights and a lower cross bar, the counter having anopening, a closure for the counter opening adapted to swing upwardly andoutwardly to substantially vertical position against the grille forclosing the space between the bottom of the grille and the bottom of thepartition opening, a movable barrier normally non-obstructing thepartition opening, means for counterbalancing movement of the barrier,and spring means cooperating 'with the counterbalancing means forforcibly and suddenly elevating the barrier through the counter openingto swing the closure forA the counter opening against the grille andoverlie the partition opening by the barrier, said lower cross bar ofthe grille being connected to the uprights by means adapted to break forrelease of,

ALBERT A. GAREY.

